A plate-frame heat exchange reactor having a serial cross-flow geometry. This
is
accomplished by designing a plate-frame heat exchanger wherein the flow of feed
gas in one cell of the reactor flows perpendicular to the flow of burner exhaust
within the next adjacent cell. The improved reactor increases the Reynold's number
of the flows as compared with a massively parallel design to improve heat transfer
and reactant mixing characteristics, thereby reducing reactor size by half or more.
The serial cross-flow arrangement allows for constructing reactors where feed gas
addition is possible at many distinct points along the serial flow in order to
control hot spots or other undesirable chemical reactions. The new arrangement
also greatly reduces manifolding of the flows and reduces the distinct components
of the reactor.
